By BRIAN STOCKWELL
NOOSA’S Lions Fourth Division men were the first to feel the heat of a preliminary final soccer clash on Friday night coming through to win one-nil.
Playing with his Under 12 coach Mark Harrison from twenty years ago, Nick Bloxsome received a ball in the penalty box, and with a turn any player would be proud of, slotted the ball into the back of the net for the only goal of the game against Caboolture.
Caboolture was also the first team to fall to Noosa the following morning in the 14/1 girls.
The skills of sisters Jessica and Jackie Doyle gave the team the go forward, but everyone contributed to an impressive three-nil win.
The Under 13/2 boys had a much tougher battle to make their way through to the grand final, winning their match against North Shore 1-0.
It was looking like the Under 17/2s would go unrewarded for their dominance in the first-half of their game against Maroochydore but came back with a late goal to secure a two-one victory.
Maroochydore came out strongly in the second and held a one goal advantage until Stephen Pryce found a way through the crowded penalty box to level the match.
Goal keeper Tristan Jones of Noosa’s Under 17/2s pulled off the save of the season to keep Noosa in the hunt for the championship and the game went to extra time.
With only two minutes to go Michael Martin chased down a through ball to score the winning goal and a place in the grand final.
The Madill Motor Group Premier Men were hampered by injuries and illness but still came out the better side in the first half of their clash with Woombye, but it wasn’t to be with the side going down two-one.
Despite a nagging hamstring injury Matt Needham slotted a ball into the back of the net to give Noosa a half-time lead.
Woombye scored first in the second half but were by no means dominant. Noosa had a great chance to take the lead again when Chris Jancevski and James Verdin combined down the left-hand side and sent a ball across an open goal mouth only to see Craig Hawkin’s volley skew off to the right.
Woombye, on the other hand, made the most of their only other chance after a scrappy, some would say questionable, play in the goal box.
Going up 2-1 with about five minutes left Noosa could not find the leveller.
While disappointed, the Lions can look back on a successful season where they were unbeaten at home, beat all comers in the region in the FFA Cup and thrilled record crowds in their victories against the Sunshine Coast Fire and Hervey Bay Mariners.
